Centre allows distribution of pulses through welfare schemes
They would be sourced from the existing 1.8-million tonne buffer to meet nutritional needs
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Friday decided to use a part of its 1.8 million tonnes (mt) of buffer stock of pulses for distribution in its welfare schemes such as mid-day meals. After this decision, all central ministries and departments would be empowered to make suitable changes and amendments in their respective schemes and guidelines to enable them to take/provide pulses from the buffer in ‘kind’ under their respective schemes, an official statement said.
This will help ensure adequate supply of pulses under various schemes, including mid-day meals, hospitals as well as ministries/departments or their agencies providing food/catering and hospitality services. The disposal of pulses to the central government schemes will be in addition to the ongoing sale of the buffer stock in the open market and also to state governments, it said. The cost of pulses supplied to states would, in no case, be higher than the market price, protecting their interest as well, it added.
In the statement, the government said the concerned ministries will make necessary changes in their schemes and assess pulses requirement within the next three months. The supply of pulses from the central buffer stock would commence based on such requirement indicated by these ministries/departments, it said.
The objective is to enable the concerned administrative ministries/departments to ensure that pulses from the buffer stock are utilised as in ‘kind’ component of the Centre’s contribution in such schemes, in lieu of its financial contribution of equivalent amount.
“The concerned departments may revert to the current system of making nutrition available only in case of non- availability of pulses in the buffer,” the statement said.
The government agencies have also been enabled to make suitable provisions in their commercial arrangement (tenders/contracts) to ensure that the requirements of pulses for such operations are met through the central buffer. Stating that availability of assured channels of disposal is of critical importance for operating a sustainable buffer, the government said the move will facilitate efficient management of buffer stock of pulses.
For the first time, the government had last year decided to create a buffer stock of pulses to ensure better prices to farmers and at the same time use the stock to augment local supply in times of price rise. About 2 mt of buffer were created through local procurement and imports.